


Now We're Grown Up Orphans That Never Knew Their Names

by starspangledbisexual



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dogs, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Poverty, Prostitution, accidental breaking and entering, well sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:33:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9130663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starspangledbisexual/pseuds/starspangledbisexual
Summary: "Vex took a moment to think. Unlike her brother, who made his living breaking into buildings and kept them alive through several harsh winters doing just that, Vex had some qualms about it. She knew what it was like to lose something precious, and hated the thought of causing that feeling for someone else. If it meant preventing that, she could perhaps spend the night in the woods.Alone.In the cold.…Well, it wasn’t like she was going to take anything more than a little food, and if the obscenely rich person who owned this place could afford to forget about amansion…"On the run with only her dog for a companion, Vex finds shelter in an apparently abandoned house in the woods. Except it's not exactly abandoned, and its owner is just as much of a disaster as she is.How's that for a meet-cute?





	1. Took A Little Journey To The Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I only fell down the Critical Hole two months ago, but I can't get out and just had to write something for these dorks. I'm also a sucker for melancholy drifters and road trips, so this AU just felt right. If you agree, let me know!

The exhaust fumes of the semi spooled out along the turnpike in the fading afternoon light, blending in the air with Vex’s breath as she took in her surroundings. She could no longer see the lights of Emon on the horizon, and that alone was almost enough to make her start sprinting back. Only the memory of Vax’s hand on her shoulder, voice pleading and urgent, stopped her from doing just that. 

A familiar whine snapped Vex out of her thoughts as Trinket bumped his head against her hip. “Sorry, buddy,” she murmured, scratching behind the dog’s ears obligingly, still not taking her eyes off the horizon. “Guess we should figure out where we’re sleeping tonight.”

Trinket licked Vex’s hand in agreement as she took stock of the surrounding terrain. The road that the truck had deposited them on ran through an apparent wilderness, bounded on both sides by a thick pine forest. While driving she had registered that they were travelling North, and had gone well past Westruun, and she felt it in the bitter cold of the early winter air. The truck driver—a gruff but kind man who she had to give credit for not only picking up a grimy hitchhiker, but her bear of a dog—had said the next town—a dot on the map called Whitestone—was about five miles up the road, and that she would definitely be able to find a hotel there, though they might not allow pets. Digging into her pockets only turned up a rueful grimace—with her funds, they probably wouldn’t allow her either.

Vex was no stranger to sleeping on the streets—she and Vax had done more than their fair share of that as teenagers. But the streets were his specialty, not hers. It was the woods where she felt most at home, and it was them that beckoned her now.

“Come on boy,” Vex said, shouldering her pack and beckoning Trinket to follow her into the woods. Night was coming, and she wanted to set up camp before dark. With the supplies she’d thrown together as Vax rushed her out of their flat, she and Trinket would be able to last a few days before she needed to go into town.

  


Underbrush was scarce in the forest, which made finding a place to bed down difficult. Trinket was big enough to frighten away most predators, but Vex wanted shelter from the elements, which was harder to find. Suddenly, Trinket began to bark loudly, dashing ahead of her as if giving chase to a rabbit. It was all Vex could do to run after him, almost losing him among the identical trees.

When she caught up to him, Vex found Trinket pawing at the back door of what could only be described as a mansion. The imposing brick house jutted out of the surrounding forest abruptly, interrupting the seemingly endless line of trees with its peaked roof and ivy-covered walls. From its elaborate stonework and leaded windows, it was clear that the house was clearly very old and that its owners, whoever they were, were very wealthy and wanted people to know it.

Shushing Trinket, Vex crept forward to peek into the closest window, finding what appeared to be a darkened parlor. Imposing old paintings lined wood-paneled walls, and Vex could see dust motes floating through the beam of light that sunset cast into the room as the shadows lengthened. Whoever owned this place wasn’t around, and clearly hadn’t been for a while.

Pulling back, Vex took a moment to think. Unlike her brother, who made his living breaking into buildings and kept them alive through several harsh winters doing just that, Vex had some qualms about it. She knew what it was like to lose something precious, and hated the thought of causing that feeling for someone else. If it meant preventing that, she could perhaps spend the night in the woods. Alone. In the cold.

Trinket whined, scratching at the back door desperately, and Vex thought back to the puppy she’d rescued from a dilapidated cage, skinny and scared. She thought of her brother’s face whenever she got hurt, of his latest plea for her to _“please stay safe…”_

…Well, it wasn’t like she was going to take anything more than a little food, and if the obscenely rich person who owned this place could afford to forget about a _mansion_ …

It was surprisingly easy for Vex to pick the lock on the back door, given how long ago Vax had shown her his techniques and how infrequently she used them. The door creaked as she opened it, and Trinket all but sprinted across the hardwood floor into the (relative) warmth of the house. Vex, however, found herself frozen where she stood, unable to move even as a breeze blew past her into the darkness. The silence of the mansion, save Trinket’s exploratory sniffing, was overwhelming, almost eerie…until her stomach growled, breaking it. Vex chuckled to herself, following Trinket inside and shutting the door behind her. She’d never believed in ghosts, and she wasn’t about to start now.

Past the parlor and down a short hall, Vex found a surprisingly well-stocked kitchen. Whatever Westruun bigwig used this place as a summer home didn’t have dog food, but Vex managed to find a can of meat that Trinket was more than happy to devour, and heated up some canned soup for herself on a stove with more burners than she’d previously thought one could have. As she ate, Vex noticed that the kitchen lacked the personal touches a family kitchen ought to have; no old shopping lists, no ugly fridge magnets, no family photos anywhere. Even her mother’s kitchen, cramped and dingy as it was, always had one of the twins’ drawings hanging up, or a note from mom left on the table. This place seemed almost intentionally bare, like it had been scrubbed clean of whoever had once lived here.

She left her bowl in the sink to clean later, eager to set herself up for the night and explore the house. Yet the further Vex ventured into the mansion, the more puzzled she became. The appliances and phone book were all new and the front garden was well-maintained, meaning that someone was clearly using the house regularly. But in most of the bedrooms, the furniture was covered, as if whoever was living here was trying to forget them. The only photos Vex could find lined the house’s main staircase, and showed a large, apparently happy family, which grew gradually throughout the photos. However, the most recent-looking of them only featured two of the children, the parents nowhere to be seen. There was a graduation photo of a bespectacled boy who Vex would probably have found attractive if he didn’t look so sullen. She was pretty sure she recognized the university he was posed of front of, which meant he must be smart, as the closest she’d ever gotten to college were the posters in the detention room in high school. His hair was so light it had to be dyed, and he could use a shave, but he was handsome, despite his clearly feigned smile. There was also a high school graduation photo of a girl with the same eyes and smile that didn’t reach them, and Vex couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to these kids, who looked so happy in the earlier photos. Where were the others? Did they even care about this place?

Vex dropped her pack on the floor of the first bedroom she found where the furniture wasn’t covered up. Digging through her coat pocket, she pulled out a battered cell phone, firing off a quick text to Vax.

_Safe and sound 200 miles away. Keep me posted._

She was tempted to fall into bed without even taking off her boots, but she could feel the grime of the forest and a six-hour stint in the cab of a semi-truck, and new she’d hate herself in the morning if she didn’t bathe first. She also wanted to stave off sleep as long as she could, telling herself it was to wait for Vax’s response, and had nothing to do with the increasingly unnerving emptiness of the house.

Vex supposed she wasn’t as surprised as she should have been when she discovered that the attached bathroom was fully stocked for whoever slept here, complete with more types of hair product and scented body wash than a person could ever possibly need. Still, feeling indulgent, Vex decided on a lavender scrub, feeling herself relax for the first time since Vax had rushed into their flat with a black eye and a threat from the Clasp that morning. But she did her best to put that out of her mind now, her drowsiness all but consuming her as she stepped out of the shower. She swore she could hear a phone ringing somewhere in the house, but that had to be her overeager imagination wishing Vax would call—which he wouldn’t, always preferring text, and whoever lived here clearly didn’t use the place often enough to get calls… even if they had supplied a bathrobe that had to be too fluffy to be legal, and Vex supposed she could never stop herself from breaking a rule or two as she slipped it on. And if she drifted off to sleep still wrapped up in it as she waited for Vax’s text, trying not to think of sad, blue-eyed boys and their secrets…

Well, the house was empty, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is from Percy's perspective, so sit tight!
> 
> Chapter title from Meet Me in the Woods by Lord Huron


	2. Heart Like A Rebuilt Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His thoughts stopped dead in their tracks at the doorway of his room.
> 
> In his bed, sleeping very soundly and snoring very loudly, was a woman.
> 
> A beautiful woman.
> 
> A beautiful woman wearing only his bathrobe.
> 
> Well, _this_ was certainly unexpected.

Let it never be said about Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III that he did not like cars.

On the contrary, he loved cars. He loved hearing the hum of a well-maintained engine and the purr when it revved. He loved taking them apart and figuring out how they worked, how they could be improved. In another life, one without his trust fund and engineering degree, he might have even become an auto mechanic.

But today as he got behind the wheel of his prized Lexus, Percy sincerely wished that it would not start.

But of course, being the carful, meticulous, ~~obsessive~~ individual that he was, he maintained his car in perfect condition, so of course it roared to life without so much as errant _pang_.

He could almost hear Cassandra scolding him as he heaved a sigh and pulled out of his building’s driveway, but he kept up his internal grumbling until he merged onto the turnpike and accepted the fact that for the first time in three months and the fourth time that year, he was headed to Whitestone.

As he passed the _“Thank You For Visiting Beautiful Emon!”_ sign at the city line, Percy could practically see Cassandra in his mind’s eye going through the same motions, hemming and hawing over an empty suitcase wedged between mountains of law books in her flat, grumbling as she packed for the trip despite her griping at him for doing the same.

_“We need to at least try, Percy,”_ she’d said during their last phone call. _“They deserve that much.”_

_”I know they do,”_ he’d replied, because of course he knew. _“But that doesn’t make it any easier.”_

And then they were back where they started, making small talk about Cass’s classes and Percy’s company before the conversation trailed off and they hung up for the night.

Percy knew that they deserved _more_ than him trying, and he sincerely wished that he could give them that. But even this, maintaining the house at the bare minimum, trying to honor their memory, made him feel like his white hair was closer to growing in naturally.

As he merged into the express lane, Percy tried not to wonder what his father would think. He turned on the radio, trying to drown out one of Julius’ speeches about “family duty” as it played in his head. As he absently flipped through the stations, Percy thought to himself that, of the de Rolo children, he’d always been the worst at fulfilling that duty, but it didn’t help when all he wanted to do when faced with his past was run as fast as he could in the other direction.

  


Percy stopped for lunch at a familiar diner on the outskirts of Westruun, smiling at a man who he swore was the same waiter as last time. Ordering his customary coffee and omelet, he gave Cassandra a call.

Before he could say anything, Cassandra asked “How close are you?” voice hurried, a sarcastic “hello to you, too, sister,” out of the question as a reply.

“Still a couple of hours out—I’ll probably be there in time for a late dinner. How about you?”

“Just after that, I think,” she replied, voice calmer. “I have a deadline that… surprised me, so I’ve been writing all morning and, well… you know it is,” her voice trailed off sheepishly.

Percy chuckled indulgently before pausing to sip his coffee. “What was that about planning accordingly again?”

A barrage of static indicated Cassandra’s huffing, and Percy could only laugh. “I’m sorry, Cass, it’s just… you know what they say about laughter….”

“I do,” she replied, voice even. “It’s just… you know this is as hard for me as it is for you.”

Percy’s smile faded as he absently stirred his coffee. “I’m sorry. You know I do.”

“It’s alright, it’s just…” Cassandra trails off before speaking again, voice stronger now. “Could you grab some groceries when you get there? I would, but I’m really not sure when it is I’ll get in, and I don’t want you to go hungry.”

“Of course, Cass,” Percy said, not letting his voice betray his dread. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Whitestone, but going into town always brought with it pitying looks and awkward condolences, even after seven years, only bringing back the pain of their loss. Cassandra had always handled that side of things, but if it meant making things easier for her, he could do it. Gods knew she deserved it.

Cassandra sighed again, this time in relief. “Thank you so much, Percy. I’ll see you tonight—the moment I’m done with this paper, I’ll leave.”

“Work fast, sister,” Percy said, smile returning before they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Finishing his meal quickly, Percy couldn’t help but think how hard this must all be for his sister. She hadn’t asked for this either, and she was so young when it happened, still was now. Yet she was handling it all better than he ever had. Cassandra seemed perfectly able to face their past.

So why couldn’t he?

  


By the time Percy saw the familiar signs for Whitestone, the sun had already set. Only the big grocery store in town was open, all the mom-and-pop shop windows on Main Street dark in the early winter night. Percy had almost forgotten how sleepy life in Whitestone could be.

Nothing had changed of course, not even inside the grocery store. Everything was exactly where it had been when his mother had pushed him in a cart as a baby, which made shopping easier than he had thought it would be— perhaps, if he worked fast, he could leave the store without seeing any familiar…

“Percival de Rolo!” he heard a familiar voice shout cheerily.

faces. ~~Damnit.~~

“Pastor Yennen,” Percy said evenly. Forcing a smile, he turned around to greet the diminutive minister. “You still recognize me? After all this time?”

“Of course, Percival,” Yennen replied, smiling diplomatically. “You have the de Rolo chin.”

Percy had no idea what to do with that, and filed it away. “I trust the congregation has been doing well?” Percy said as tactfully as he could, remembering the droning church services of his youth. He had never been especially interested in religion, but his mother had insisted it was an important part of their ‘presence in the community,’ as if he had any idea what that meant as a child.

“Well, attendance has gone down somewhat,” Pastor Yennen replied, face falling a little. “Whitestone is a small town, and getting smaller. Not many people want to live so far North. It’s good to see you back, though! Is Cassandra also in town?”

“She will be tonight, I believe. We’re up for the weekend—just housekeeping sort of things,” Percy answered, trying to be as vague as possible.

Yennen nodded in some kind of understanding. “Well, that’s good to hear. De Rolo manor has been empty for far too long,” he gave Percy a wide smile and a shoulder pat. “Well, I trust you want to be going, so I won’t keep you. Perhaps I’ll see in church!” Pastor Yennen shouted over his shoulder as he headed to the butcher counter.

Percy didn’t respond to that, instead wishing the preacher a brisk “Goodbye, Pastor Yennen!” as he headed to the checkout.

Things were going swimmingly, so far.

  


As he pulled up the long driveway, before the house was even in sight, Percy began to feel on edge. He was just deciding to pin it on the encounter with Pastor Yennen when he crested the hill…only to notice some of the lights on.>

Which wouldn’t have been weird, if it weren’t for the fact that Cassandra’s blue Prius was conspicuously absent from the driveway.

Percy could feel his breath coming in shorter as his vision began to contract.

_Too-strong arms, roughly shaking him awake. “Downstairs, kid,” a gruff voice said._

Hitting the brakes, Percy stopped the car with a jolt, taking deep breaths to steady himself. Panic would _not_ help him now, even if something was wrong. He had to focus. Perhaps Cassandra had gone into town to intercept him. The idea sounded weak in his head, but needed _something_ to cling to until he figured out what was going on.

Inside the house, things only got stranger.

Mechanically hitting the voicemail button on the house phone, Percy gave the kitchen a once over, immediately noticing the dishes in the sink as Cassandra’s voice played over the speaker.

_“Hello, Percy…. I decided to call the house phone because I know reception can be spotty up there and I wanted you to get this, so sorry if it’s late!”_

Cassandra _never_ left dishes in the sink.

_“...I won’t be able to come until the day after tomorrow… I’m so sorry, but while writing this essay I put off a take-home exam and… well, you know how it is. I’m going to need tomorrow to finish…”_

Percy didn’t hear anything Cassandra said after that, as he was already down the hall and halfway up the stairs. 

_A slap stung across his cheek._

_“Quiet, brat!” a voice said. “Ripley, gag him.”_

Percy stopped his train of thought as he ran down the second floor hallway. No. It wouldn’t happen again. He wasn’t a helpless teenager anymore, he was a grown man, and he could _deal with this_ …. 

His thoughts stopped dead in their tracks at the doorway of his room.

In his bed, sleeping very soundly and snoring very loudly, was a woman.

A beautiful woman.

A beautiful woman wearing only his bathrobe.

Well, _this_ was certainly unexpected.

It was several long moments before Percy could bring himself to do anything but stare at the woman, scolding himself as he tried not to focus on waves of long dark hair or swathes of forbidden skin….

~~Damnit, de Rolo.~~

He needed to focus. There was a strange woman sleeping in his house and… oh gods, was that a _bear?_ Percy thought to himself, only now noticing a large, furry animal curled up at the foot of the bed, protectively covering his mistress’ feet.

He knew what his father or mother or Julius would have done—called the police and had the girl arrested for vagrancy at least, breaking and entering at worst.

But then, he took a second look at the woman. Her cheek and collar bones were a lot more defined than they should be, and she looked so small in his bed. If the dark circles under her eyes were any indication, she hadn’t gotten enough sleep for a while. Looking around the room, Percy took note of her few belongings—all she had with her was a dilapidated camper’s backpack and a beat-up pair of combat boots. Clearly, she hadn’t had an easy life.

Percy was startled from his thoughts by the chiming of a cell phone, and froze where he stood. Though the woman only mumbled and rolled over, the dog—at least, he was pretty sure it was a dog—perked up, looking around for a moment before his eyes met Percy’s.

Percy had never had dogs growing up or as an adult, and he didn’t claim to understand animals very well, but the message was pretty clear. Nothing was going to happen to the woman on this dog’s watch.

Shifting his gaze from the dog, Percy’s eyes fell on the battered phone that had made the noise. Drawn by curiosity, he walked toward the nightstand slowly, so as not to alarm the dog, and read the message on the cracked screen.

_Glad to hear it. Stay safe. The worst is over_

Short and cryptic, Percy thought, but ominous nonetheless. Perhaps this girl wasn’t just living rough, but on the run as well.

Part of Percy knew that he never would have called the police on this girl, but his rational side agreed when confronted with this thought. The poor woman had been through enough trouble and didn’t need more—not tonight anyway.

Grabbing some spare blankets from a linen closet downstairs, Percy set himself up on a couch in the parlor. The ancient leather was uncomfortable, but would do fine for one night, and he was exhausted enough from the drive and the fearful adrenaline wearing off that he fell asleep relatively quickly. And if he dreamed of beautiful dark-haired women and their secrets…

Well, it was _his_ house, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Traveling Alone" by Jason Isbell
> 
> stay tuned for an awkward breakfast!


	3. Memories You Bury Or Live By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Despite her fascination with the photos on the wall, Vex honestly hadn’t known what she was coming downstairs to, but she could hardly say she was disappointed. Despite his bed-tousled hair and slightly skewed glasses (Trinket’s handiwork, she thought wryly) her host was quite good looking.
> 
> And judging by her host’s widening blue eyes and rapidly spreading flush, she could guess that his thoughts were similar.
> 
> Perhaps keeping the bathrobe _had_ helped after all.
> 
> It was a shame then, she thought, that she would probably never see him again after breakfast. She and Trinket would be on the road again by noon, no doubt. And she recalled the truck driver’s radio saying something about a thunderstorm that night...."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up three months late with Starbucks*
> 
> Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. I'm currently finishing my last semester of college, and between that and searching for jobs, I've been really pressed for time. I do, however, still care about this fic, and want to keep it going. The plot has changed direction somewhat from my initial idea, but I think that's for the best.
> 
> A brief content warning for this chapter: there is discussion of of prostitution and the twins' precarious money situation. I don't get too deep into it, and I'm not trying to shame sex workers at all, but I wanted to give fair warning.

_Screams. All Vex could hear were Vax’s screams._

_She was running, but she didn’t know where. Everything was dark around her, only the sound of his torment guiding her._

_She tripped, over what, she didn’t know, sprawling on the damp cellar floor. She heard a new sound… a persistent scratching…_

A sharp and familiar whine jarred Vex from sleep, and the scratching persisted. Opening her eyes, Vex felt almost blinded by the mid-morning sun streaming in through sheer curtains.

She and Vax had never bothered to hang curtains. 

Panicking, it took a moment for Vex’s mind to catch up to her instincts and remember that she wasn’t in Emon anymore, which was enough time for Trinket to notice that his Vex was upset. Abandoning his post at the door, he trotted to her side, and Vex almost immediately calmed down as she pet him.

“Thanks buddy,” she smiled, continuing to pet him until she remembered what she had fallen asleep waiting for. As she lunged across her bed, Trinket went back to the door, whining to be let out.

“Just a moment, Trinket,” Vex called as she read Vax’s text.

_Glad to hear it. Stay safe. The worst is over_

She sighed. _Cryptic as ever._ At this rate, she wasn’t going to know what was going on until after the fact, and her dreams clearly wouldn’t stand for that.

_What’s going on? Are you hurt? Give me a call later_

Hitting “send” with an exasperated huff, she became increasingly aware of Trinket’s whining and scratching. Even when he needed to be walked, he didn’t usually act like this.

That’s when she noticed it—the heavenly smell of bacon and eggs.

In addition to making her stomach rumble almost immediately, the scent made Vex freeze.

_Someone else was in the house._

_Shit._

_Shitshitshit._

It was just her luck that whoever owned this place had chosen _this weekend_ to visit.

After taking several deep breaths, Vex took stock of her situation. Whoever was here had arrived either the night before or earlier in the morning—which, judging by how bright the sun was in her window, gave them plenty of time for them to notice the dirty dishes and any potential muddy footprints she or Trinket may have left. More likely than not, they knew she was here, and if they hadn’t called the police yet, perhaps she and Trinket would be able to get back on the road quickly with minimal hassle. She would just need to turn on the charm, apologize profusely, and hope that whatever Westrunn bigwigs owned this place were feeling charitable.

Taking a deep breath, Vex turned to Trinket. “Alright, buddy,” she said. “Let’s meet the neighbors.”

  


The thing about the house was that, no matter how isolated or alone Percy was within it, it never quite felt empty. And in his youth, it never was; seven children and two very busy parents, plus whatever help they hired to manage the brood, kept the halls bustling with activity. But even in the absence of others, a house this old always felt inhabited—though perhaps, Percy considered, that was just the ghosts in his mind.

Nonetheless, he knew the creaking of footfalls when he heard them, and couldn’t help smiling to himself  as he prodded his attempt at an omelette with a spatula.

“Breakfast is about done if you’d like some,” Percy shouted, trying to sound as benign as he could.

Predictably, the creaking momentarily stopped, and the house was silent, save the sizzling of the bacon in the other pan—so silent, that Percy swore he could hear the girl thinking. Finally, the steps resumed, and Percy mentally tracked her progress down the stairs, through the hall, and….

“Hello, darling.”

Oh, _gods,_ she’d be the death of him, wouldn’t she?

Percy’s guest had decided to forego changing, and stood before him still wearing his bathrobe. This was making any previous introductions he had planned very difficult to recall.

“H-hello…” was all Percy was able to manage before he was all but tackled by one hundred and fifty pounds of fur and dog breath. It was all he could do to stay standing as the excitable bear-dog made every attempt to lick his face.

“Trinket! Down boy,” the woman commanded, and immediately the dog went to her side, eyeing the pan of almost-cooked bacon on the stove hungrily. “I’m so sorry, he’s usually much better behaved than this, he’s just really hungry,” she said as she scratched indulgently behind the dog’s ears.

“It’s alright, he just… caught me off guard is all,” Percy managed as he brushed himself off and adjusted his glasses. 

An awkward silence hung heavy in the air, broken only Trinket’s panting. Percy could almost hear his mother’s voice in the back of his, scolding him and telling him to _remember your manners, Percival,_ though he wasn’t quite sure what the protocol was for this situation. 

After several long moments, Percy held out a hand. “Percy,” he said by way of introduction.

The woman smirked, which at this point seemed to just be how she smiled, but there was something sincere in her eyes, as though she was genuinely charmed by the odd gesture as she took his hand, shaking it firmly. “You can call me Vex,” she said after a moment. “And this is Trinket.”

Percy couldn’t stop the short bark of laughter that escaped him. “That name’s a bit misleading for a dog that large, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vex replied haughtily, but offered him a wink that _definitely_ didn’t make him blush.

  


Despite her fascination with the photos on the wall, Vex honestly hadn’t known what she was coming downstairs to, but she could hardly say she was disappointed. Despite his bed-tousled hair and slightly skewed glasses (Trinket’s handiwork, she thought wryly) her host was quite good looking.

And judging by her host’s widening blue eyes and rapidly spreading flush, she could guess that his thoughts were similar.

Perhaps keeping the bathrobe _had_ helped after all.

It was a shame then, she thought, that she would probably never see him again after breakfast. She and Trinket would be on the road again by noon, no doubt. And she recalled the truck driver’s radio saying something about a thunderstorm that night....

 _Just my luck,_ she thought wryly as she piled her plate high, taking as much food as she could. Might as well enjoy Percy’s hospitality while she had it.

After serving a hearty portion of bacon to a very grateful Trinket, Vex awkwardly sat down across the table from Percy, who was eating his eggs almost daintily,  and tried her hardest not to immediately scarf down the food in front of her—which was hard to do, given she didn’t know when her next meal would be (or _where,_ for that matter). When she’d finished, Vex set down her fork and looked up at Percy, who was fidgeting with his fork and clearly trying not to look too curious.

Suddenly shy, Vex looked away too. “Umm… sorry for… accidentally breaking into your house,” she said, suddenly very interested in her unbraided hair and not at all in the man across from her.

“I’d hardly call picking a lock and sleeping in my bed an _accident_ ,” she heard him reply, but didn’t even need to look up to know he was smirking.

Now _she_ was the one blushing.

Eventually, Vex collected herself enough to look him in the eye and respond, hopefully hiding her nerves. “Well, I know you have absolutely no reason to believe me, but please trust me when I say it was for a very good reason, and I really appreciate your...hospitality. Really, you-you didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”

Percy looked genuinely confused. “Trouble? What trouble?”

“The breakfast, not waking me up and kicking me out…. I mean, I really appreciate you not calling the police, but it’s okay, we’ll be out of here in no time…”

“No!” Percy interrupted, loud enough for Trinket to look up from his almost-empty bowl.

He sighed, adjusting his glasses. “No,” he repeated, softer this time. “Listen, I...I don’t know why you’re here, and I suppose I would like an explanation, but… well, you see… this house doesn’t get used much anymore. It’s just me and my sister, and that’s only a few weekends a year…. It doesn’t make sense for it to be empty. If you need somewhere to stay this weekend, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be here. You’re more than welcome, Vex.”

Now it was Vex’s turn to be confused. This… didn’t make sense. Judging just by Percy’s clothes, which looked like they cost more than Vex made waiting tables for a month, he had absolutely no reason to be doing this. She’d _broken into his house_ , eaten his food…. This kind of guy was exactly the type to call the police, and by all rights, he _should have_... and yet here they were, eating breakfast together like it was the most normal thing in the world.

There had to be a catch. There always was. Even Scanlan, at first, had only let the twins crash on his floor after they got him out of a jam with a crooked booking agent. Then came friendship, and then the closest thing to a (very, _very_ , unorthodox) father figure Vex had ever had… but at first, there was always that catch. And if there wasn’t a catch up front, Vex knew that there would inevitably be a debt. If there was one thing that Vex prided herself on, it was that, despite how much she and Vax had to scrimp and save to make ends meet, she had never, _ever_ let them fall into debt with anyone. She wasn’t about to start now, least of all with someone as wealthy as Percy, no matter how kind he might seem. In Vex’s experience, it was always the people with the most wealth who expected the most in return.

“You know I can’t pay you anything,” Vex said, reaching down to rub Trinket’s head absently. “I don’t have any cash on me, but when I get back to Emon, I could maybe try and send you-”

“No need,” Percy interrupted. “We already have more money than I know what to do with. If you need, I can even take you back to Emon when I leave.”

Vex pondered her options. Of course he didn't need money. But perhaps there was something else he wanted….

Percy got up from the table. “Come upstairs. We have plenty of spare bedrooms, and I can set you up in one,” he said, carefully avoiding looking at her, though Vex knew he wanted to….

Oh.

_Oh._

Well. In all her years of begging, bargaining, and stealing, Vex had never made _that_ kind of trade. There was, of course, no shame in it, but…well, she’d never considered it for herself. It was far too…intimate. But a debt was a debt, and Vex hated owing anyone anything, least of all rich snobs.

Though Percy didn’t seem snobby at all really. And looking at Percy’s shapely ass as revealed by his tight pants, Vex supposed she wouldn't mind _that_ much.

She shook her head. Vex didn’t have time for those thoughts now. _This is a debt to be paid, and nothing more,_ she scolded herself as she followed Percy out of the kitchen.

  


As Percy led his guest through the parlor to the stairs, he tried to understand what it was he had just done.

He could practically feel the eyes of de Rolos past judging him from their portraits, scandalized at the idea of their descendant putting up a _vagabond_. Even his own parents, charitable as they were, probably would have objected, and Percy couldn’t say he would blame them. He didn’t know the first thing about this girl, save that her name was Vex, that she was from Emon, and that he couldn’t stop staring at her.

(Which was, in and of itself, another issue entirely, and not one that Percy was going to deal with now. Or ever.)

Vex had even given him an out; she had seemed at least somewhat willing to take her dog and leave. Perhaps a more ~~mentally stable~~ level-headed Percival would have taken that deal, kindness be damned. _~~Would he have, though? Really?~~_

But then, as he mounted the stairs, Percy considered the alternative. Spending another day (and night) alone in the house, with nothing but dust and ghosts for company until Cassandra arrived…

  


_”Sometimes, I swear can almost hear them,” his sister had said as she sipped a glass of Father’s recently re-discovered brandy, hiding in a globe in his study. The wounds were fresher then, and both had been afraid to fall asleep, knowing all too well that screams—whose were impossible to say—would wake them. Percy said nothing as he nursed his glass, but his reply was all too clear…._

  


The bedroom door (Whitney’s, Percy recalled faintly) opened with a loud creak, jarring him from his thoughts. He stepped forward mechanically, drawing the cover off the perfectly-made bed (“Just in case,” Cassandra always said, though he doubted she had _this_ case in mind) as his guest followed him inside.

“There’s a bathroom attached,” he said, circling the room and inspecting the thin layer of dust on the furniture, looking everywhere but at Vex. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask….”

Percy was interrupted by a lazy “Mm hmm,” coming from the bed.

For some reason, this stopped him dead in his droning. His guest had been quite silent on the way up to the room, and the sudden sound jolted him. Slowly, he turned around… and froze.

_Oh, Gods…._

Vex sat nude on the too-tidy bedspread, his robe pooling around her hips as she smirked at him.

“What about what _you_ need, darling?” she asked him, quirking an eyebrow, and he could hear the slight shake in her voice.

As Percy tried to look anywhere but at the _miles_ of Vex’s exposed skin, he took in her face, noticing how tight that smirk was, how wide her eyes were… how _scared_ she was...

“Vex…” he tried to keep his voice even, “Wh-what are you doing?”

Her coy mask dropped, and she seemed genuinely confused. “I-I thought this was what you wanted,” she said, her voice shaking now.

“No! I-“ Percy snapped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. “W-why?”

Her eyes widened further, and if he’d thought she looked scared before, then he never wanted to see this face again. “I-I can’t pay you, so…” she gestured toward herself. “I-isn’t this how it works?”

Before Percy could respond, the loud ringing of a cell phone from his discarded robe’s pocket shattered the moment.

Everything froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Never Look Away by Vienna Teng
> 
> This chapter was going to be longer, but ultimately I decided to split it in two, as this part ended up being much longer than anticipated. I will try to update soon, or at the very least, sooner than I posted this.
> 
> I really appreciate everyone who has left a comment-- ultimately, those comments were what spurred me to get back to this. Thanks for all the support!

**Author's Note:**

> Story title from Name by The Goo Goo Dolls


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